Photo-engraved printing plate and method of producing the same



June 26, 1934. v. E. ROYLE 1,964,599

PHOTO-ENGRAVED PRINTING PLATE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME Filed May28. 1932 ATTORNEYS Patented June 26, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCEPHOTO-ENGRAVED PRINTING PLATE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME 14Claims.

This invention relates to a photo-engraved printing plate and method ofproducing the same, and particularly to plates having the periphery ofthe engraved surface in the form of an ellipse or oval.

An object of the invention is to provide a method which will eliminatethe free hand tooling of the plate and bring about a more accuratepositioning and centering of the subject to be outlined by an ellipse orother oval boundary.

Another object of this invention is to produce an engraved plate withpositive designations for determining the major and minor axes of theellipse desired.

Another object is to produce an engraved plate having means thereonwhich will coincide with the major and minor axes designations of theelliptical subject on the plate, so that the plate may be readily andeasily located on an ellipsograph lining attachment arranged to coactwith a routing machine, such as described and claimed in Letters PatentNo. 1,226,912 dated May 22, 1917, which machine will finish the plate byproviding any number of decorative border lines disposed in parallelrelation, as well as rout the plate and bevel the edges, even by anunskilled operator.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 represents a face view of asubject to be reproduced on the plate;

Fig. 2 represents a side elevation showing the subject to be reproducedand the photographic apparatus partly in sectionillustrating theposition of the screen and the sensitized wet'plate upon which thesubject is to be photographed;

Fig. 3 represents a face view of the sensitized plate developed andshowing the subject photographed thereon;

Fig. 4 represents a face view of a glass plate upon which the wet filmfrom the negative has been transferred;

Figs. 5 and 6 represent, respectively, front and back views of a cutoutmat having an elliptical opening therein, together with major and minoraxes designations 0f the opening;

Fig. '7 represents a face view of the cut-out mat having its frontdisposed against the wet film on the glass plate in position forscribing and cutting the film on the line of the opening in the cut-outmat;

Fig. 8 represents a view similar to Fig. 4 with the film which boundedthe elliptical portion of the subject stripped from the glass plate;

Fig. 9 represents a face view of a sensitized metal plate having thesubject printed thereon from the film on the glass plate;

Fig. 10 represents a similar view with the cut-out mat registering withthe elliptical film on the plate and the edges of the plate scribed withthe major and minor axes corresponding to the major and minor axes ofthe elliptical film;

Fig. 11 represents a face view of the plate showing a portion of thesurface thereof routed adjacent the elliptical edge of the subject, and

Fig. 12 represents a print made from the finished plate. a

In the method of producing engraved printing plates now in common use,the subject is photographed on a'wet plate, developed'to permanentizeit, and while still wet it is treated in the usual manner andtransferred to a glass plate to form a reverse negative. A transparenttemplet or mask of celluloid is cut to the desired form and placed uponthe film to center the subject and the film out along the peripheraledge of the templet. The film outside the cut is then stripped from theplate and the templet removed. After the film has been dried it is thenprinted on a metal plate s having a sensitized surface. The sensitizedplate having the subject printed thereon. is then developed, treated toharden the surface and etched in the usual manner. After the plateisetched the transparent elliptical templet is again used as a guide foroutlining the subject engraved on the plate, which outline isscratchedlightly on the plate to form a guide for the hand engraver tofollow with a gravers tool. This'outline must then be made permanent bycutting a deep groove in the plate by the engraver, which operation is afree hand operation and therefore requires unusual skill to follow thescratched line on the plate. By this method no aligning means areemployed and the subject on the engraved plate is often out of center,irregular and unbalanced. Furthermore, this style of finishing the plateby hand graving is costly and uncertain of quality.

My invention contemplates a more accurate positioning and centering ofthe subject to be outline-d in the form of an ellipse or other oval,eliminating all guesswork and unbalanced and lopsided ellipses or ovals.Referring to the draw ings, the subject which is to be reproduced on aphoto-engraved plate is denoted by 1, the photographic apparatus by 2,the screen by 3, and the glass plate by 4 having a sensitized surface 5.This form of photographic apparatus and method of reproducing thesubject on a sensitized plate is of the well known type. 7

After the subject has been exposed to the sensitized surfaced plate, theplate is developed in the usual manner to form a permanent negative film6, shown in Fig. 3, which film, when dry is coated, with a strippingcollodion such as a solution of rubber or other similar material toprotect and strengthen the original film so as to permit its beingremoved from the original negative glass. After the stripping collodionhas dried the negative is immersed in a weak solution of acetic acid todissolve the thin albumen film on which the original negative collodionwas flowed, and the negative with its stripping collodion may be floatedoff or easily removed from the original negative glass. While thenegative is still wet and pliable, it is laid with its upper surface orface in contact with a larger and thicker glass plate 7, so that thesubject may be reversely transferred thereto. One of the purposes ofturning the negative is of course to reverse the subject, therebycorrecting the reversal which took place through the lens of thephotographic apparatus 2. While only one negative is shown on the glassplate 7, it has been found advantageous to transfer a plurality ofnegatives to a single glass plate, thereby expediting the furtherprogress of the work. The glass plate 7 with the film thereon may now bemanipulated to accurately position and center the subject as well asdetermine the diameters of the major and minor axes required for thefinished engraving.

A cut-out mat 8, see Figs. 5 and 6, composed of thin metal, such aszinc, aluminum, or other suitable material having an opening 9 thereinof predetermined size is arranged to correspond to the periphery of theengraving desired. This opening 9 has cut in its edges diametricallyopposed notches 10, 11 to designate the points of the major axis of theelliptical opening, and similar notches 12, 13 to mark the position ofthe minor axis of the ellipse. The cut-out mat 8 is also providedadjacent its edges and on the face 14 (Fig. 5) with vertical lines 15,16 which register with the notches 10, 11 and horizontal lines 17, 18arranged to register with the notches 12, 13 of the opening 9. Thereverse side 19 (Fig. 6) of the cut-out mat is also marked with verticallines 20, 21 adjacent its edges to designate the major axis of theopening and horizontal lines 22, 23 toposition the minor axis of theopening. The lines 20, 21 also register with the notches 10, 11, whilethe lines 22, 23 coincide with the notches 12, 13 in the opening 9.

The cut-out mat 8 is now placed with its face 14 against the wet film 6on the glass plate 7, so that the opening 9 will expose the desiredamount of the subject to be engraved. The film is now scribed around theopening and notches with any sharp pointed instrument (not shown) whichwill cut the film. Upon removing the cutout mat 8 from this position,shown in Fig. 7, the portion of the film surrounding the line of the cutmay now be skinned or stripped from the glass plate 7 leaving only theelliptical portion of the film on the glass plate, as shown in Fig. 8.By reason of the film being cut at the notches, projections 24, 25, 26,27 will be formed therewith to designate the axes of the ellipticalfilm. When the film has been dried and hardened, it is then placedagainst a sensitized surface of a plate 28 of metal, such as copper, orthe like, and the subject printed thereon by the usual exposure tolight. The plate 28 with the printed subject thereon is then developedand treated to harden the sensitized surface, so that it may be etchedin the usual manner. After the plate has been etched, it is scribed withcenter lines as shown at 29, 30 which designate the major axis and at31, 32 which determine the minor axis of the subject etched on theplate. These center lines 29, 30 are located by placing the cut-out mat8 with its face 19 against the plate to register with the projections 24to 27 inclusive fitting the notches 10 to 13 inclusive and by lining theprojections 24, 25 and lines 20, 21 with a straight edge (not shown).Likewise the straight edge is placed on the projections 26, 27 and lines22, 23 to locate the center lines 31, 32 on the edge of the plate 28.While I have shown and described a means of scribing the center lines onthe edge of the plate by the use of the cut-out mat 8, I wish it alsounderstood that the lines may be scribed by omitting the mat and liningthe oppositely disposed projections with the straight edge, therebybringing the center lines, if necessary, in close proximity to theprojections on the edge of the engraved surface. These center linesserve to position the plate when used in connection with an ellipsographlining attachment, such as that shown in Letters Patent No. 1,226,912dated May 22, 1917, which attachment may be set to out borderdesignations uniformly on the engraving. This attachment may also beused in conjunction with a routing machine of any well known or approvedtype, for routing the surface of the plate 28 surrounding the ellipticalengraving, as partly shown in Fig. 11, thereby presenting only theengraved surface for printing in the usual manner. When the engravedsurface is lined with the border or borders, the projections 24 to 27inclusive may be removed by the lining tools.

Thus it will be seen from the foregoing that this method is simple,effective and readily accomplished by even an unskilled operator.Furthermore, the particular advantages are that the subject may beaccurately positioned or centered and provided with temporary axesdesignations before the subject is printed or etched on the printingplate, and the plate etched with the major and minor axes designationsprojecting outwardly from the peripheral edge of the subject.

What I claim is:

1. A photo-engraved printing plate having a subject etched thereon, theperipheral edge of said etched subject being of elliptical or oval formand provided with predetermined axial designations formed integral withthe peripheral edge of the subject for aligning and centering the plateon a lining or routing machine.

2. A photo-engraved printing plate having a subject etched thereon, theperipheral edge of said etched subject being of elliptical or oval formand provided with predetermined axial designations formed integral withand extending outwardly from the peripheral edge of the subject foraligning and centering the plate on a lining I or routing machine.

said etched subject being of elliptical or oval form and provided withradially disposed projections formed integral with the peripheral edgeof the subject and designating the major and minor axes of theelliptical or oval subject for aligning and centering the plate on alining or routing machine.

5. The method of producing engraved printing plates of elliptical oroval form which includes the following steps: producing a negative ofthe subject on a film, transferring the film while Wet to a transparentplate, cutting the wet film on said plate to the desired form includingaxial designations and stripping the edges of the film from the plateoutside the out, drying the film on the plate to harden it, associatingthe filni on the plate with a sensitized surfaced metal plate andprinting the subject on said sensitized surface, developing thesensitized surface of the plate to permanentize it, and etching theprinted surface of the plate.

6. The method of producing engraved printing plates of elliptical oroval form which includes the following steps: producing a negative ofthe subject on a film, transferring the film while wet to a transparentplate, placing a cutout mat on the Wet film, said mat being providedwith an opening and axial designations therein of dimensionscorresponding to the boundary of the engraving desired, cutting the wetfilm on the plate to the opening and axial designations in the mat,removing the mat from the film on the plate and stripping the edges ofthe film from the plate outside the cut, drying the film on the plate toharden it, associating the film on the plate with a sensitized surfacedmetal plate and printing the subject on said sensitized surface,developing the sensitized surface of the plate to permanentize it, andetching the printed surface of the plate.

"I. The method of producing engraved printing plates of elliptical oroval form which includes the following steps: producing a negative ofthe subject on a film, transferring the film while wet to a transparentplate, placing a cut-out mat on the wet said mat being provided with anopening therein of dimensions corresponding to the boundary of theengraving desired, said opening having means on its edge to designatethe axes of the opening, cutting the wet film on the plate to theopening and means in the mat, removing the mat from the film on theplate and stripping the edges of the film from the plate outside thecut, drying the film on the plate to harden it, associating the film onthe plate with a sensitized surfaced metal plate and printing thesubject and axial designations on said sensitized surface, developingthe sensitized surface of the plate to permanentize it, and etching theprinted surface of the plate.

8. The method of producing engraved printing plates of elliptical oroval form which includes the following steps: producing a negative ofthe subject on a film, transferring the film while wet to a transparentplate, placing a cut-out mat on the wet film, said mat being providedwith an opening therein of dimensions corresponding to the boundary ofthe engraving desired, said opening having means on its edge todesignate the axes of the opening, cutting the wet film on the plate tothe opening and means in the mat, removing the mat from the film on theplate and stripping the edges of the film from the plate outside thecut, drying the film on the plate to harden it, associating the film onthe plate with a sensitized surfaced metal plate and printing thesubject and axial designations on said sensitized surface, developingthe sensitized surface of the plate to permanentize it, etching theprinted surface of the plate, and scribing the outer edges of the plateto register with the means on the etched surface.

9. The method of producing engraved printing plates of elliptical oroval form which includes the following steps: producing a negative ofthe subject on a fdm, transferring the film while wet to a transparentplate, placing a cut-out mat on the wet film, said mat being providedwith an opening therein of dimensions corresponding to the boundary ofthe engraving desired, said opening having diametrically opposed meanson its edge to designate the axes of the opening, cutting the wet filmon the plate to t .e opening and means in the mat, removing the mat fromthe film on the plate and stripping the edges of the film from the plateoutside the cut, drying the film on the plate to harden it, associatingthe film on the plate with a sensitized surfaced metal plate andprinting the subject and axial designations on said sensitized surface,developing the sensitized surface of the plate to permanentize it, andetching the printed surface of the plate.

10. The method of producing engraved printing plates of elliptical oroval form which includes the following steps: producing a negative ofthe subject on a film, transferring the film while wet to a transparentplate, placing a cut-out mat on the wet film, said mat being providedwith an opening therein of dimensions corre sponding to the boundary ofthe engraving desired, said opening having diametrically opposed meanson its edge to designate the axes of the opening, cutting the wet filmon the plate to the opening and means in the mat, removing the mat fromthe film on the plate and stripping the edges of the film from the plateoutside the cut, dryingthe film on the plate to harden it, associatingthe film on the plate with a sensitized surfaced metal plate andprinting the subject and axial designations on said sensitized surface,developing the sensitized surface of the plate to permanentize it,etching the printed surface of the plate, and scribing the outer edgesof the plate to register with the means on the etched surface.

11. The method of producing engraved printing plates of elliptical oroval form which includes the following steps: producing a negative ofthe subject on a film, transferring the film while wet to a transparentplate, placing a cutout mat on the wet film, said mat being providedwith an opening therein of dimensions corresponding to the boundary ofthe engraving desired, said opening having notches on its edge todesignate the axes of the opening, cutting the wet film on the plate tothe opening and notches in the mat, removing the mat from the film onthe plate and stripping the edges of the film from the piate outside thecut, drying the film on the plate to harden it, associating the film onthe plate with a sensitized surfaced metal plate and printing thesubject and axial designations on said sensitized surface, developingthe sensitized surface of the plate to permanentize it, and etching theprinted surface of the plate.

12. The method of producing engraved printing plates of elliptical oroval form which includes the following steps: producing a negative ofthe subject on a film, transferring the film while wet to a transparentplate, placing a cut-out mat on the wet film, said mat being providedwith an opening therein of dimensions corresponding to the boundary ofthe engraving desired, said opening having notches on its edge todesignate the axes of the opening, cutting the wet film on the plate tothe opening and notches in the mat, removing the mat from the film onthe plate and stripping the edges of the film from the plate outside thecut, drying the film on the plate to harden it, associating the film onthe plate with a sensitized surfaced metal plate and printing thesubject and axial designations on said sensitized surface, developingthe sensitized surface of the plate to permanentize it, etching theprinted surface of the plate, and scribing the outer edges of the plateto register with the notches on the etched surface.

13. The method of producing engraved printing plates of elliptical oroval form which includes the following steps: producing a negative ofthe subject on a film, transferring the film while wet to a transparentplate, placing a cut-out mat on the wet film, said mat being providedwith an opening therein of dimensions corresponding to the boundary ofthe engraving desired, said opening having diametrically opposed notcheson its edge to designate the axes of the opening, cutting the Wet filmon the plate to the opening and notches in the mat, removing the matfrom the film on the plate and stripping the edges of the film from theplate outside the cut, drying the film on the plate to harden it,associating the film on the plate with a sensitized surfaced metal plateand printing the subject and axial designations on said sensitizedsurface, developing the sensitized surface of the plate to permanentizeit, and etching the printed surface of the plate.

14. The method of producing engraved printing plates of elliptical oroval form which includes the following steps: producing a negative ofthe subject on a film, transferring the film while wet to a transparentplate, placing a cut-out mat on the wet film, said mat being providedwith an opening therein of dimensions corresponding to the boundary ofthe engraving desired, said opening having diametrically opposed notcheson its edge to designate the axes of the opening, cutting the Wet filmon the plate to the opening and notches in the mat, removing the matfrom the film on the plate and stripping the edges of the film from theplate outside the cut, drying the film on the plate to harden it,associating the film on the plate with a sensitized surfaced metal plateand printing the subject and axial designations on said sensitizedsurface, developing the sensitized surface of the plate to permanentizeit, etching the printed surface of the plate, and scribing the outeredges of the plate to register with the notches on the etched surface.

VERNON E. ROYLE.

